He hasn’t officially retired because he will still jump into a limited, part-time ride if the fit is right.

And former NASCAR Nextel Cup (now Sprint Cup) driver Ricky Craven of Newburgh still feels he can race competitively in any series, even though he has raced only once in any of the three major NASCAR divisions since 2005.

But Craven maintains, as he has for the past two years, he is “no longer willing to give up all the other things it takes to be a [full-time] race car driver. The commitment requires being away from your family the majority of the year.”

So he keeps himself busy making up for lost time with wife K.K. and their three children (daughters Riley and Lydia and son Everett).

And to help pay the bills, he writes a column on Yahoo.com, will do eight radio spots on Sirius Satellite radio, and he has launched a new career as a public speaker.

The speaking career will take him to Afghanistan in the near future.

“I appreciate having some control of my schedule so I can do some things I had to put on the back burner,” said Craven, whose 278-race Nextel Cup career included two wins, 17 top-five finishes and 41 top-10s.

He concluded his career by racing in the Craftsman Truck Series for Jack Roush in 2005, amassing a win, four top-fives and nine top-10s in 26 races. He is one of only 16 drivers to win in the Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series. He won four times in 142 Busch (now Nationwide) races and was the Rookie of the Year in the Busch North, Busch and Sprint Cup series.

Craven admits he still misses the competition of racing on Saturdays and Sundays and recently received calls about running a “few Busch races and running a full Busch schedule.”

“I might be interested in racing a few events here and there,” said Craven. “Physically, I believe I could race productively and successfully at the age of 41, even on the [Sprint] Cup level. Particularly with the Car of Tomorrow.

“The Car of Tomorrow fits my style. It requires more finesse than it does aggression. It takes a different discipline to race this car,” added Craven.

“If someone needs a driver for a half-dozen races, I’m confident my family would support me and allow me to make that commitment,” said Craven, who added that he has loved spending time with his family.

But don’t expect to see him hanging around racetracks seeking a part-time gig.

You can see him making speaking engagements in New York and Alabama in addition to Afghanistan, where he will speak to the troops.

Visiting the troops is something he has wanted to do for a long time.

“I’ll be on a 10-day military tour. I’m really looking forward to it,” said Craven.

He said his speech will be about his career and the commitment and focus required to make his way from a small town in Maine onto the biggest stage in racing.

He will also talk to them about coming back after a horrific crashes at Talladega and Texas Motor Speedway.

“Resiliency is such a big element in having a career. You’ll always have to overcome adversity,” said Craven.